Ramandeep Singh to Lead Punjab in Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament; Arjun Rajput Joins After U-19 Asia Cup
Punjab Cricket Association announces Ramandeep Singh as captain for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament, with Arjun Rajput joining later.
Mohali, November 11 (Daily Kiran) : The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) announced its squad for the 2026/27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament on Wednesday. Ramandeep Singh will captain the team, bringing his leadership skills to the forefront.
Young batsman Arjun Rajput, who recently scored a spectacular century against Pakistan, will join the squad after fulfilling his commitments in the Under-19 Asia Cup. His arrival will depend on India’s performance in the tournament, with the team set to face Afghanistan in the second semifinal in Muscat on Thursday.
In a notable change, wicketkeeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh has been replaced by Sahaj Dhawan. Prabhsimran has been selected for the India A team for the Men’s Rising Stars Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Doha from November 19 to 29. Under Ramandeep’s captaincy, Salil Arora, in excellent form, will take on the wicketkeeper role. The batting line-up will be bolstered by experienced players Anmolpreet Singh and Sanveer Singh, along with Uday Saharan and Vihaan Malhotra. The spin department will be led by left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar and leg-spinner Raghu Sharma.
The squad also includes promising talents like Sukdeep Bajwa, Krish Bhagat, Jashan Jindal, Imanjot Singh Chahal, Sahil, Kartik Chadda, and Vishwanath Pratap, alongside seasoned fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who joins as a guest player for this season.
Punjab has been placed in Elite Group B, competing against teams from Haryana, Delhi, Railways, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir, Saurashtra, and Bihar. They will kick off their campaign on November 14 against Haryana, followed by matches against Delhi on November 16, Railways on November 18, and Tamil Nadu on November 20. The team will also face Jammu & Kashmir on November 22 and Saurashtra on November 24, concluding with a match against Bihar on November 26. Punjab previously claimed the title in the 2023/24 season and has been a runner-up four times.
The Punjab team includes: Vishwanath Pratap, Prabhsimran Singh (replaced by Sahaj Dhawan), Vihaan Malhotra, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Salil Arora (wicketkeeper), Ramandeep Singh (captain), Sanveer Singh, Raghu Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Sahil, Kartik Chadda, Imanjot Singh Chahal, Sukdeep Bajwa, Jashan Jindal, Krish Bhagat, and Umesh Yadav.
